1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a contactor block and an apparatus for electrical connection using a contact sheet such as a probe sheet.
2. Description of Prior Art
It is desired recently that, in an apparatus for electrical connection such as a probe card, electric tests of a plurality of integrated circuits formed in the same semiconductor wafer can be carried out simultaneously.
As an apparatus of such a type, it has been proposed to produce a plurality of so-called contactor blocks and/or probe blocks, in which a probe sheet using, as a probe element, a part of wiring formed on an insulating film and/or a contact sheet are assembled into a holder, and to assemble such contactor blocks into a frame (Japanese Patent Appln. Public Disclosure (KOKAI) No. 2000-147005 and No. 2000-150595).
Such a conventional type of contactor block uses a contact sheet on which a projected electrode acting as a contactor is disposed in each probe element as well as a plate-like holder, the contact sheet being wound round the holder. The conventional apparatus for electrical connection using such contactor blocks has a plurality of contactor blocks assembled into the frame at intervals in the thickness direction of the holder.
According to the conventional contactor blocks, however, there is no space for disposing a circuit element such as a capacitor to be connected to a source, so that it cannot help disposing the circuit element in a member other than the contactor blocks, for example, in the frame where the contactor blocks are disposed. As a result, a passage for electricity between the circuit element and the contactors should be too long to conduct an accurate electric test.
An object of the present invention lies in providing a space for a circuit element.
A contactor block according to the present invention comprises: a beam-like holder having an underside and a retreat portion formed on a side following the underside; and a contact sheet having a plurality of first contactors at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the holder, the first contactors being arranged in the outer periphery of the holder so as to be located on the underside.
The retreat portion may be a downward staged portion formed on a side or an inclined side inclined to the underside. By disposing the contact sheet on the outer periphery of the holder including such a retreat portion, a retreat area is formed, where a position of the contact sheet corresponding to the retreat portion is retreated from the side.
The contactor block having such a retreat area can dispose one or more circuit elements such as a capacitor at a position of the contact sheet corresponding to the retreat area. By doing so, even if a plurality of the first contactor blocks are juxtaposed in support means such as the frame, it is possible not only to reduce a layout pitch of the contactor blocks at least by the thickness dimension of the circuit element but also to conduct an accurate electric test because the electric paths between the circuit element and the first contactors are shortened.
The holder further may have an upside opposite to the underside, and the contact sheet may further have a plurality of second contactors spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the holder and arranged at the positions corresponding to those on the upside of the holder, and a plurality of wiring portions electrically connecting the first contactors and the second contactors with a relation of one-to-one correspondence.
The holder may further have a plurality of recesses extending in the longitudinal direction of the holder within the arrangement range of one or more corresponding contactor groups each including two or more of the first contactors made to correspond individually, the recesses opening at least on the underside, and one or more female screw holes each communicating to the corresponding recess, the screw holes being made to correspond to each recess. In each recess, an elastic plate abutting on the arrangement area of the corresponding contactor groups in the contact sheet and a pressure plate abutting on the upside of the elastic plate are disposed, and an adjusting screw abutting on the top plate of the pressure plate may be disposed in each screw hole. With such an arrangement, by adjusting the amount of screwing of the adjusting screw into the female screw hole, the amount of projection of the contactor from the holder can be adjusted, so that the height position of the contactors with respect to the holder can be adjusted for each contactor group.
In place of the foregoing, it is possible that the holder further has a plurality of recesses extending at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the holder and opening at least on the underside, and a plurality of female screw holes communicating to the corresponding recesses, the screw holes being made to correspond to respective recesses, that in each recess an elastic plate abutting on the contact sheet and a pressure plate abutting on the elastic plate are disposed, and that an adjusting screw abutting on the upside of the pressure plate may be disposed in each screw hole. Even by doing so, the amount of projection of the contactors from the holder can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of screwing of the adjusting screw into the female screw, so that the height position of the contactors with respect to the holder can be adjusted for each contactor group located in a support area.
The holder may further have one or more triangular flange portions projecting sideward from the side and having a bottom face on the same plane as the underside, and the contact sheet may have an extended area on the bottom face and an auxiliary contactor disposed in the extended area.
The contact sheet includes an insulating sheet member and a plurality of wiring portions disposed in parallel in the sheet member, wherein the first contactor is disposed at one end portion of the wiring, and the sheet member can have a plurality of slits which make the end portion of the wiring disposing the first contactor act as a probe element.
The apparatus for electrical connection according to the present invention comprises one or more contactor blocks such as the above-mentioned one and support means on which the contactor blocks are attached in parallel with each of their first contactors downward. By this apparatus for electrical connection, too, a similar action and effect to the above-mentioned contactor block can be obtained.
The support means can include a frame on which a plurality of contactor blocks are mounted in parallel with each of their first contactors downward, and a wiring board having a plurality of wiring portions and attaching the frame to its underside.